Ellen DeGeneres will be part of Andre Agassi's 11th Grand Slam for Children.
Heather West was the "Golden Girl" of "Hell's Kitchen 2."
Ben Affleck, left, and Matt Damon attend Tuesday's premiere of the horror film "Feast" at the Palms casino. Photo by ruben d. luevano/review-journal
Heather West's dream chef job at Red Rock Resort has a whiff of predestination.
Three years ago, well before the aspiring chef landed among the 12 participants on Fox's "Hell's Kitchen 2," West's parents brought her to Las Vegas as a reward for graduating from the Culinary Institute of America.
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Her visit included a trip to Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area, where she went hiking.
She saw so much opportunity she almost stayed in Las Vegas to pursue her career.
Returning to her home in Long Island looks like a good decision now.
The 26-year-old winner of Fox's culinary boot camp reality show is in the kitchen as senior chef at Red Rock Resort's Terra Rossa Italian restaurant.
That's the prize the former sous chef from Port Jefferson, N.Y., won when the show finale aired Aug. 14.
When the first season of "Hell's Kitchen," starring London chef Gordon Ramsay, aired two years ago, West was watching it with her parents.
"I told them, 'That's what I want to do.' My dad said, 'You couldn't take the yelling. You'd be the first one booted off.' "
West took everything Ramsay threw at her over 28 days of taping last winter. Nicknamed "The Golden Girl" on the show, West came away as a shining star and with the career-boosting position.
A number of her specials will be featured on the menu put together by executive room chef Renato DePirro, former kitchen manager at The Venetian's Valentino.
GRAND SLAM ADDITIONS
Comedienne Ellen DeGeneres and a special acoustic performance by John Mayer will be part of Andre Agassi's 11th Grand Slam for Children benefit concert Oct. 7 at the MGM Grand.
Also announced on Tuesday: The 12 semifinalists for the event's accompanying Grand Slam to Stardom will compete from 4-6 p.m. Sunday at Green Valley Ranch. The event is open to the public and will be held in the Grand Events Center.
The semifinalists include: J.T. Aguirre, 25; Erika Avila, 17; Mike Bannister, 16; Mariyah Burton, 16; Princess-Junne Dinglasan, 23; Lou Gazzara, 21; Joshua Keating, 15; Brittany Martinez, 21; Nicole Pryor, 27; Jill Roth, 25; Jamaal Rouzan, 23; and Anthony Valentino, 24.
THE SCENE AND HEARD
The Fox News Channel's 10-city tour to mark the cable network's 10th anniversary will include an Oct. 30 stop in Las Vegas. Shepard Smith will broadcast "Studio B" and his "Fox Report" from Pure Nightclub at Caesars Palace, followed by Greta Van Susteren and her "On the Record" program. Most programs will feature a live studio audience, with tickets available on the Web site: www.foxnews.com. ... Vegas TV, formerly the UPN affiliate KTUD-TV, launches Monday on Cable 14 and Channel 25. The independent station will focus on family-friendly content, including weekly broadcasts of high school football games and "Smooth Vegas Knights," a half-hour variety show hosted by Smooth "C" Knight.
SIGHTINGS
Ben Affleck and Matt Damon, on the red carpet at the Palms on Tuesday for the premiere of the horror film "Feast," the latest for their Bravo series "Project Greenlight." They are executive producers, along with Wes Craven and the Maloof family. The film will be released Sept. 22.
THE PUNCH LINE
"The LAPD says they are not going to release Paris Hilton's arrest report and mug shot. They also said it was too late to stop the release of her album." -- Jay Leno
